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/ Wednesday, August 3, 2022
Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz
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Licensed architect and entrepreneur. www.advfirm.com
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The importance of focusing on office culture
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s many companies struggle to convince employees to return to their physical offices, the attention on office culture is as important as ever. Office culture is basically the character and personality of your organization. It is the sum of its unique values, interactions, behaviors, and attitudes. While many businesses let their workplace culture emerge organically, a great office culture stems from exceptional management, workplace practices, policies, people, and of course, office design. A great office culture places a high priority on spaces that promote employee health and wellbeing. Offices that incorporate biophilic design elements and have designated relaxation areas, greatly improve working conditions for their team by combating cognitive fatigue, lowering stress levels, and enhancing overall health. A stressful work environment is detrimental to our health and wellbeing. That’s why companies need to provide health insurance benefits, a fitness stipend, and mental health resources to encourage their team to stay healthy and motivated.
If employees are feeling healthy personally and professionally to and well, they will produce good reach their maximum potential. work. Enhanced productivity and Work-life balance is another improved job performance are some important consideration of a great of the other benefits that a great office culture. Companies that office culture brings support their to workers. employees by Providing open allowing flexible and flexible spaces, work hours, extra standing desks, and paid vacation days, Office meeting rooms, are and personal time culture is basically part of the design off encourage their the character and options that help team to maintain a personality of your teams collaborate successful work-life organization. It is the and work easily. balance. By focusing sum of its unique A comfortable on outcomes rather values, interactions, workplace is key to than inputs you can behaviors, and enhancing employee reinforce a culture attitudes. productivity. of accountability The right office and teamwork. culture encourages The onboarding workers to expand process is key their personal and to preventing professional skills and knowledge employee turnover, which costs for their own benefit and that companies large amounts of time of the team and the company. and money every year. Once a new Companies that create initiatives and hire is acclimated and engaged opportunities for lifelong learning with the company, they are more to help each employee achieve their likely to stick around. A study by goals and dreams are more likely to Glassdoor found that companies be successful. with an effective onboarding Companies can implement regular process improved their new hires’ goal-setting meetings, industry lunch engagement rate by 82%. and learns, resources, coaching and A positive office culture should mentoring opportunities as well as promote and encourage activities an annual budget to be used for and initiatives that foster teamwork. professional development. This helps Retreats, happy hours, team yoga, employees continue to grow both and community service opportunities
In fact,
“Companies that create initiatives and opportunities for lifelong learning to help each employee achieve their goals and dreams are more likely to be successful.” Ricardo Álvarez, architect
are just some of the ways that companies help their teams form stronger connections with each other. Team building exercises help us understand each other more, empathize with one another and deepen our bond as a team. A great office culture plays a key role in your team and company’s success. It provides the best possible working environment to support and invest in your people. With a supportive office culture and the right motivation, your employees and business will continue to grow, scale, and succeed.
